Torque sensing device



May 27, 1958 c. J. DEAVERS i 2,835,051

TORQUE SENSING DEVICE Filed March 31, 1955 fr? ven tr- U/o/e r/.Deaver-.s

United States Patent G M TORQUE SENSING DEVICE Clyde Jerome Deavers, Schenectady, N. Y., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of N ew Yorit Application March 31, 1955, Serial No. 498,328

7 Claims. (Cl. 73--136) This invention relates to torque indicators and more particularly to means for measuring the torque transmitted through a shaft and gear mounted thereon.

An object of the invention is to provide a torque measuring device which may readily be installed in a gear box.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved torque measurino device which is simple and reliable.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a torque measuring device which provides a fluid pressure signal proportional to theV torque transmitted by shaft. These and other objects are accomplished by providing an arrangement wherein deflection of a torque transmitting shaft varies the size of a fluid restriction to vary a fluid pressure in proportion to a torque transmitted through the shaft.

The invention will be better understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. l is a diagrammatic illustration of one embodiment of the invention as applied to a single stage speed reduction gear train;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of the invention as applied to a torque indicating device;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a metering orifice shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is sectional view of a bearing structure modilied in accordance with the present invention; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of that shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to Fig. l, a driven element, depicted as a load device 4, is driven by a driving element depicted a prime mover V3 through a spur gear 6 mounted on an output shaft 5 of the driving element 3 which meshes with a gear 8 mounted on a load shaft 9. The shaft 5 is rotatably supported by bearing means 2 and 7 which are in turn fastened to a support member (not shown). It is well known by those skilled in the art that when a torque is transmitted between two meshing gears such as 6 and 8, there will be a resultant pressure force which is proportional in magnitude to the torque being transmitted. This pressure force acts along a pressure line, the direction of which is principally a function of gear teeth profiles. Generally, however, with the directions of rotation indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, the pressure force exerted on the shaft 5 will be in a direction normally outward from the plane of the drawing.

Referring to Figs. 2, 4, and 5, the bearing means indicated generally at 2 constitute a torque sensing unit. The sensing unit 2 comprises a casing 10 in which an annular sleeve 11 is mounted, being held in place by two pins 12 which iit in matching grooves in the sleeve and casing. The sleeve fits loosely within the casing so as to provide for limited relative motion therebetween. The casing is so shaped as to provide diametrically vopposed recesses 14 and 17 between the casing and 2,336,061 Patented May 27, 1958 ICC sleeve 11. Passages 13 within the casing 10 provide fluid communication between the recess 14 and two iluid conduits 15 and 16 and similar communication between the recess 17 and liuid conduits 18 and 19. End plates (Fig. 2) cover the recesses 14 and 17 to prevent lluid escape therefrom except through the passages 13 and clearances 39 and 40 between the sleeve 11 and casing The casing 19 is oriented with respect to the gears 6 and S so that the diametrically opposed recesses 14 and 17 are in alignment with the resultant pressure forces imposed by the meshed gears 6 and S. A bearing is mounted snugly between the sleeve 11 and shaft 5 which is indicated in the drawing as a conventional ball-bearing comprising an inner race Zd, an outer race 21, and balls 22 interposed therebetween. it will be understood by those skilled in the art that any conventional bearing means can be used between the sleeve 11 and shaft 5 with equally good results.

The torque sensor 2 incorporates adjustment purposes. The biasing device comprises a spring housing 23 which is fixed to the casing 10. The spring housing 23 houses a spring 24 which is positioned between a spring retainer 25 and a piston member 26. The piston member 2t? has a threaded portion which passes through the outer end of the spring housing 23 which may be rotated to position the piston member. A lock nut 27 is provided to lock the piston member in place when it is properly adjusted. The spring exerts a biasing force ou the sleeve member 11 through the spring retainer 25 which has a surface bearing against the sleeve. 'ihe bias exerted by the spring 24 on the sleeve 11 can be adjusted and varied by adjusting the position of the piston Ze to vary the spring compression.

Referring to Fig. 2, the liuid conduits 15 and 1S are connected to a common supply conduit 3i? from which pressurized iiuid is supplied to the sensor 2. ln each of the conduits 1S and 13 is a metering orifice 31 which meters the flow of fluid therethrough. Fig. 3 shows an enlarged sectional View of the metering orilice 31. The metering orifice comprises a cylindrical portion 47 having disk-shaped portion transversely disposed therein, the disk-shaped portion 32 having an opening 33 therein.

Referring again to Fig. 2, the fluid conduits 16 and 19 iiuid communication between the recesses 14 respectively and opposite ends of a liuid cylinder :n has a piston 42 slidably disposed therein. The is biased to a neutral position within the cylinder by springs 43 and 44. A stem 36 is fixed to the piston 42 which is adapted to move a pointer 37 over a calibrated scale 38.

The operation of the device illustrated in Figs. inclusive is as follows. Fluid under pressure is supplied to the recesses 14 and 17 from the supply conduit 3% through conduits 15 and 18 respectively. lt is evident from Figs. 4 and 5 that the flow of uid through the conduits 15 and 18 will depend upon the relative position of the sleeve 11 andcasing 10. When the sleeve is centered with respect to the casing 19 as shown in Fig. 4, uid will flow from the recesses through the clearances 39 and 40 between the sleeve and casing and back to the system drain through suitable connections, not shown. The sleeve being centered with respect to the casing, the clearance between the sleeve 11 and casing 1li in the region of the recess 14 will be equal to the clearance at 4Q in the region near the recess 17. Therefore, the liow through conduits 15 and 18 will be equal. Should the sleeve 11 become uncentered with respect to the casing 1i) however, so that the clearance at 39, for example, exceeds that at 4l), the flow through conduit 15 will exceed that through conduit 18. The result of unequal licws though the metering orices 31 and 31 a biasing device for Y Y 3 will be similarly unequal fluid pressures within the recesses 14 and 17. An unbalance in pressure Within the recesses 14 and 17 will be transmitted through conduits 16 and-19 to,V the piston'42 Ywithin'the cylinder 32K.VA Whenk a .pressure unbalanceris experienced' bythe piston` 4? 1tk Vis caused to move against the biasing forces of the springs 43 and 45 consequently Vcausing the pointer 37 to move across the calibrated scale 38. Y As mentioned above Vthe transmission of artorque through the'meshe'd gears 6 andKS will AcreateY a resultant pressure forceV which Vwillpbe transmitted through the shaft and bearing means Y including the balls 22 to the sleeve 11 in a direction tooppose the biasing force of spring 24 that is exerted Vagainst the sleeve` 11 by the spring retainer 2S.Y Since the -uid pressures in the recesses V14V and 17 are equal when the sleeve 11 is centered,V if it were not for the curacy whichis in they vicinity of a no'press'ure difference can be adjusted at will. Also, by using the biasing device, theV measurement range vof the torque sensor is Y in effect doubled without the necessity ofsupplying higher supply pressures or `larger physical dimensions in the sensorand it Vpermits the hydraulic torque signal to be positive for loads below a given rated value, and negative for torques above that value which is a desirable feature where the fluid torque signal is to be utilized in a servomechanism control system. It should be noted that the linear displacement ofV the sleeve in the` torque sensor is actually very small so that the spring 24 is deflected a very small distance. As the spring deflection is small, the changerin biasing force exerted by the spring with deection is small so that there is little or no sacrice in linearity of the sensor.

While a particular embodimentV of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be obvious to those familiar with the art that various changes and modifica` tions may be made Without'departing from the'invention and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that come within the true spirit and scope of the invention.V Y

What I claim as'new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: Y

l. A deviceV for measuring` the Vradial loading on a bearing comprising a casing surrounding said bearing,

Vsaid Vcasing'havingv a limited area cut out to form in cooperation j with said bearing a pair of diametrically Y opposed recesses, liuid conduit means for supplying pres-y surized uid to saidY recesses fthrough separate restricted passages from a common source, Vfluid pressure bleed means forming an opening between said casing and said bearing at -least at one end of each of said recessesV Y 41 Y t through whichruid is bled from said recesses, means for sensing a pressure diierential, anduid conduit means providing fluid communication between each o f said recesses and said differential pressure sensing means.

2. A torque measuringrdevice comprising a shaft rotatably mounted inV a bearing, a fust gear carried by saidl V,shaft and adapted to meshjwithl a second gear,'a casing surrounding said'bearing, ,said casing having a pair of diametrically opposed cavities therein which form a `pair of chambers with said bearing, means for r supplying pressurized iiuidV to said pressure charnbersfv through separate restricted passages from a common source, bleed means for said chamber forming an opening the sizeof which is determined by n relative motion. betweensaid v hearing and said casing, and means for sensing lthe dif# "crence in the uidpressure in each of said chambers.

3. In a transmission, a shaft rotatably mounted inV two bearings, afiirst gear carriedpby 'said shaft; between ,said bearings, and adapted to meshfwith'a second gear, aV

casing, surrounding one of said Vbearings and forming Ytherewith ytvvo Vdiametrically, opposed arcuate chambers, means Jfor supplying pressurized uid from a common source to each of said chambers through a ,separateV `against said casingV along a radial line Vthrough 'sai recesses. Y l

6. Apparatus in accordancewith claim 2 wherengadv Vjustable biasing means are provided to Vbias said bearing against said'casing along a radial line through said cavities. 5.

7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein adjustable biasing means areprovided to bias said bearing against said casing along a radial line through said chambers. v

References Cited in the file of this patent Y 1 UNITED STATES PATENTS Belgium Nov.i9e,l1 95w3 Y 

